Composites at Altair

This presentation is by Program Manager Rob Jopson. It’s a given that the simulation models we build are intended to capture and predict physical behavior, the data used to create them is not always representative of the manufacturing process used to build the physical part. For layered composite parts in particular, this mismatch can cause significant overhead in managing the simulation data as the model is created and evolves. To solve this problem, Altair’s ply-based modeling methodology strives to maintain a 1:1 relationship between the simulation data and the manufacturing process, independent of solver. The latest developments of this methodology will be presented as a workflow in the new Composite Browser, available in HyperWorks. The recording is about 18 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This workshop on end-to-end workflow for modeling layered composites in HyperWorks was conducted by Program Manager André Möenicke. The recording is about an hour and 37 minutes long, and and was first presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This workshop on molding and structural simulation of injection molded parts was conducted by Frank Ehrhart, EMEA Technical Specialist - Material Engineering/Multiscale Designer. The recording is a little over an hour long, and and was first presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

Variational asymptotic beam section (VABS) is a unique technology continuously funded by the US Army since 1988 and it has become a tool of choice in the helicopter and wind turbine industries for modeling composite rotor blades. With analysis of a finite element meshed cross section, VABS can compute the best set of beam properties for 1D beam analysis and also accurately recover 3D stress/strain distribution over the cross section. VABS has been integrated with HyperWorks and OptiStruct for Altair users to take advantage of this powerful technology for better design and analysis of composite beam-like structures.  The recording of the presentation by Dr. Wenbin Yu, CTO of AnalySwift, is almost 20 minutes long, and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This workshop on end-to-end workflow for modeling layered composites in HyperWorks was conducted by Program Manager Rob Jopson. The recording is about an hour and 32 minutes long, and and was first presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This workshop on material characterization/ virtual testing was conducted by Jeff Wollschlager, VP of Composites Technology. The recording is about an hour and 32 minutes long, and and was first presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This presentation is by Markku Palanterä, Director Composites Business Development, Altair The composites design and simulation suite by Altair is actively developed with a holistic view to cover all stages of the process from material modeling all the way to the certification of composite structures. On the material modeling side, the focus is on continuous further development of Altair’s multiscale modeling technology for continuous fiber composites and injection molded plastics, but not forgetting further application areas, such as additive manufacturing. The ply-based composite modeling in Altair HyperWorks has recently undergone a major update to achieve an improved, more efficient modeling workflow. This together with planned further developments tie the modeling even better with the manufacturing to create realistic models of composite components as built. Altair’s solver technology for implicit and explicit analyses can utilize multiscale material models to accurately describe composite material nonlinear behavior up to failure. Altair’s unique composites optimization technology is being enhanced with the repeat laminate concept that provides added efficiency and user control over lay-up design. To further complement the idea of an integrated system with all the necessary composites capabilities, the Composite Stress Toolbox has been introduced in HyperWorks to support design and certification. The recording is about 22 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

In this presentation, Dr Jacob Fish, Professor, Columbia University, introduces some of the key concepts and approaches in multiscale modeling, highlights recent advances aimed at developing practical multiscale tools, and survey the current landscape in multiscale modeling ranging from linking atomistic-to-continuum and continuum-to-continuum scales, physics and data-driven multiscale approaches, and applications in automotive, aerospace and biomedical industries. The recording is about 41 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This presentation is by André Mönicke, Program Manager Classical composite analysis and certification methods continue to be used in a significant share of the composite design process. In particular, applying classical methods early in design, and integrating them with finite methods as soon as possible can allow faster decisions which will be rewarded when it comes time for certification. Altair’s latest developments to respond to those needs will be presented, covering the Integrated Composite Stress Toolbox and a Certification framework available in HyperWorks. The recording is about 20 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This presentation is by Dávid Migács, R&D Engineer at CIKONI GmbH. A key design issue for new hydrogen-based vehicle drive systems is assuring safety of the start-of-the-art polymer lined, carbon fiber overwrapped vessels working at pressures over 700 bar. Cikoni will describe how a multiscale approach gives a better estimation of burst pressures and insight into damage mechanisms for different laminate layups, at both the macroscopic and micromechanical levels, to validate simulation models for structural optimization of layups, along with life predictions. The recording is about 28 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

This presentation is by Dr. Tomasz Garstka and Graham Barnes, LMAT Ltd. Manufacturing induced deformations and residual stresses are an unavoidable consequence of processing composites at elevated temperatures. A number of mechanisms have been identified causing residual stresses and distortions, including mismatch in the thermal expansion, cure shrinkage of the resin, consolidation and tool-part interaction. These mechanisms usually act collectively through the curing process and may lead to severe changes in the laminate characteristic. When cured and exposed to natural environment moisture swelling, as well as subsequent stress relaxation mechanisms lead to further geometrical changes. A novel cure simulation solver is demonstrated here with the application to typical aircraft components. The recording is about 10 minutes long and was originally presented at the 2020 ATCx Composites.

Markku Palentera, Director of Global Composites Business Development at Altair, delivers a presentation outlining Altair's composite design and analysis portfolio and details how manufacturers leverage these tools to empowering composites innovation through simulation.

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Altair hosted a conference at the JEC World composites expo in which leading innovators across multiple industries discussed how they leverage computer-aided engineering (CAE) simulation software to design, optimize, and validate their composite structures.

Jens Bold, Structural Analysis Engineer from Boeing Research & Technology, delivers a presentation on virtual material characterization using Altair Multiscale Designer

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Neven Majic, Executive Vice President of Cevotec GmbH discusses the use of fiber patch placement technology to produce additive manufactured composite parts.

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Raphael Gerard, Design Engineer at Gurit, discusses the use of composite optimization with Altair OptiStruct to reduce weight and increase performance in a solar car challenge.

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